Obomanu was scheduled to make $2.3 million in base salary in 2013 in the final year of a three-year extension. But with the addition of Percy Harvin, Obomanu would have been the fifth receiver on the roster at best, which made is salary prohibitive for Seattle to keep on the roster.

The Seahawks will save about $2.5 million in cap space by releasing Obomanu.

But by letting him go now, the Seahawks allow Obomanu a chance to catch on with another team.

Obomanu, 29, finished 2012 on the injured reserve with a wrist issue, but felt he could have came back had Seattle given him the opportunity. Known for his toughness and versatility, Obomanu finishes his career in Seattle with 87 receptions for 1,209 yards and seven touchdowns.

Blog search

Twitter

About

Gregg Bell joined The News Tribune in July 2014. Bell had been the director of writing for the University of Washington's athletic department for four years. He was the senior national sports writer in Seattle for The Associated Press from 2005-10, covering the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl season and beyond. He's also been The Sacramento Bee's beat writer on the Oakland Athletics and Raiders. The native of Steubenville, Ohio, is a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a 2000 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.

Someone is going to offer Elvis a big money deal, otherwise the agent would have sent the paperwork into Denver.

The Seahawks now have Red Bryant, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin at DE. And I don’t even know what this all means. My guess is Bennett takes Bryant’s place and Avril takes Clemons’ place (assuming Clemons is injured) and Irvin maintains the same role as last year.

As far as Red Bryant goes, if he can’t play inside, then what? Does he get dealt to NE?

Obomanu was a great role player for Seattle. Capable at all three receiver positions and willingly filled any special teams role asked of him. Also, that broken / split finger was one of the nastiest injuries I’ve seen in some time. Best of luck, Obo.

After all this upgrading, (along with at least 2 impact players from the draft at DT and Will) I agree this roster is LOADED !! My only fear is that I hope the Hawks are a professional and disciplined team and not a team loaded with talent , yet undisciplined and out of control (15 yard penalties, false starts, unsportsmanlike etc). Carroll teams of the past have had these problems. If He can reign this in, the sky is the limit for this group IMO.

I was also thinking further about the Harvin deal (recall that there was pushback from some about what we gave up to get him) – and here’s the question to ask, if it was SF that gave up their 1st round pick for Harvin, how would we as Hawks fans feel about it?

I very much doubt anyone here would be saying, hooray, now they won’t have their 25th pick in the first round for us to contend with . .

Nate,have one for me as well i am sick so can’t join you.
.
talked to a high school buddy who works for the raiders says if palmer doesn’t restructure they will release him and target flynn if the price is right. being that he works with the QB’s he is pretty reliable.

Obomanu’s career isn’t over. He just got pushed out of a stacked WR roster. As much as I’d hate to see it, he could have soft landing spots in St. Louis or Arizona.

PC seems pretty adamant that he’s not going to cut Clemons and I don’t see Elvis really as much of an option. If anything, Branch should be starting to sweat the market and could possibly be brought back on the cheap.

Obomanu lasted through 4 coaching staffs, so more than one staff saw his value. It was his excellent special teams play that cemented his spot on the roster, plus the fact that he was a capable player in a pinch at WR. He may not have been consistent or capable of a steady, constant role, but filling in for injury for a half or a game, or as a 5-10 snap/game sub, he was solid.

If Seattle looks like they have weak special teams in preseason, I would not be surprised at all to see Obomanu back for season 8 in a Seattle uniform.

I personally wanted Dumervil, but I suspect he’s not the type of player Carroll is looking for. Else they could have easily worked out a trade with Denver (better to get something than nothing) and re-done Elvis’ contract for the same or less than what Avril and Bennett are getting combined.

Dumervil is more accomplished and proven than our signings. But he may not fit whatever criteria Carroll has, and the depth of having 2 players is a boost, especially if you want to have a constant rotation of bodies coming after the passer ala the Giants of a couple years ago.

Pabuwal, all due respect, but where did this idea come from that Red Bryant’s position on the team is somehow in jeopardy? I’ve heard others say this recently, and I don’t buy that for a second. Michael Bennett will not, could not, replace Red Bryant.

As I see it, signing Michael Bennett spells the end for Alan Branch, unless he wants to come back at a home town discount – which would be good for Seattle since Branch is still the only player we have who is similar enough to Red to back him up adequately. Without Branch, Scruggs is Bryant’s backup. But I expect Branch to get a fat contract somewhere as a 3-4 DE since there are few good ones in the league and those guys get paid.

And I don’t believe for a minute that Red is going anywhere or getting pushed to DT. He never played well at DT, and he’s a unique and thunderous 5-tech DE essential to our defense.

Speaking of Red – is there anyone with medical knowledge here where knows about plantar fasciitis? Does it usually completely heal or does it typically recur and screw with the careers of big men like Red? That’s my one concern with him.

pabuwal,
I’m thinking Bennett actually takes over Jones’ role as an inside pass rusher on passing downs, and he can also back up Red at the 5 tech in the base D. Jones leaves, Bennett takes over for him. That’s the way I see it. They certainly value both players the same, they gave them almost identical contracts (1 yr $5M).

Avril takes over for Clem while he recovers, and Irvin remains the pass rush specialist. If Clem doesn’t play, we have the same number of role players at DE as we did last year: Avril = Clem; Bennett = Jones; Irvin = Irvin; Red = Red. If Clem comes back, we have an extra edge rusher, and I think there is no such thing as having too many of those.

As for Red…Dan Quinn, the man who moved big Red to the 5 tech spot in the first place, is back. Why would he come back and change Red’s position after how successful that move was? He’s the one that thought of it.

Carroll has said that they employ a 4-3 front (and 4-3 scheme) in their base defense, but with 3-4 personnel. Without Red, they are back to traditional 4-3 personnel. It could happen. But I actually think all these moves mean they still want two D-lines, just like last year…one for stopping the run (base d), the other for rushing the passer (nickel/dime/bandit d). The base d line for stopping the run is at it’s best with 3 big guys, and one edge rusher. The pass-rushing line is best with 2 edge rushers, and two interior rushers (Bennett and probably McDonald). The beauty of this philosophy is that players typically don’t truly excel at both stopping the run and rushing the passer. At least, you pay a premium for those that do. So build a line of guys who excel at one or the other, and put them in the game based on situations to maximize their talents. Carroll is ahead of the curve.

But not to worry…they will probably trade Red to NE and prove me wrong : ) Bennett is one of those guys who is good at both run and pass D, so maybe he will take over for Red. Only time will tell! Go Hawks!

The Seahawks defense has been dominant whenever Red Bryant was 100% healthy the past three years, and the defense often struggled when he wasn’t 100%. Russell Wilson’s scoring spree late last season hid the struggled the D line had without Red healthy.

I expect Michael Bennet to fill Clemons’ role on rushing downs, and Jason Jones’ role on passing downs.

And I expect Avril and Irvin to both be rushing on third downs, and two years from now when Avril’s contract is up, the Seahawks will need to decide on whether to pay Avril or Irvin the big bucks depending on which guy is better at that point. In two years, I won’t be too surprised if Irvin becomes better than Avril. Irvin learned a lot from Clemons last year and he’ll learn a lot from Avril this year. But he’s still learning the game and growing up. I’m still expecting big things in time.

Plantar fasciitis can be chronic, in other words get worse over time. It really depends on how bad it is with Red. It’s a guess for any of us, unless someone here has a connection to the Hawks medical team. Being 320+ pounds certainly doesn’t help. I would think it’s a wait and see type of thing. Fascia is the covering of your muscles. A tear of such in your foot, where you’re placing a lot of weight., would hurt like a bitch for sure.

Bryant has only played one full year at 100%, a contract year no less. The run defense has alternated between terrible and very good since he became a full time starter in 2010.

If the run defense is this dependent on one player with a spotty history of staying healthy and who is as one dimensional as they come, it’s not a good arrangement.

Year after year, we all bemoan the lack of pass rush. Part of that is because of Red Bryant. Around $35 million was tied up in the DL last year and it felt like they were just stealing money at times.

I can see Bennett moving inside on passing downs, like Jason Jones. But I also see him playing outside on 1st and second down. He seemed pretty good against the run last year for TB. I see no reason why he would have come to Seattle to only play 3rd downs. He will never get his big money contract this way. Of course, maybe we all overestimated his value and this is all he can and will ever get.

pabs, yes indeed I agree we could see Bennett “playing outside on 1st and second down”. I see that outside role for Bennett at RDE, not LDE. Bennett is too small to do what Red does at the 5-tech, but to my eyes he plays a lot like Clemons against the rush, uses his hands and leverage well, and fits well as RDE on 1st down, while Avril and Irvin don’t play the rushing downs nearly as well.

I’m sure I could be proven wrong by whatever Quinn eventually decides to do, but I see Bennett as the 1st/2nd down RDE, and moving inside to DT on passing downs to let Avril or Irvin rush from the edge. In other words, I’m seeing Bryant/Bennett at DE on 1st down, and Avril/Irvin at DE on 3rd down, with Bennet at DT.

One of the reasons Tampa Bay thought Bennett was expendable is that they thought Bowers played the run better than Bennett.

It sounds like some people need a easy scapegoat to target for the lack of a pass rush, and Red Bryant is the target de jour.

Last time I watched, Seattle was getting killed on 3rd and long, and Bryant wasn’t playing on 3rd and long. And given that Seattle had $18 million in cap room last year, Bryant’s contract wasn’t keeping Seattle from obtaining another pass rusher. And obviously, it’s not keeping Seattle from acquiring pass rushers this offseason.

First off, we’re unlikely to “hear” their plans. We’ll know what Carroll genuinely has in mind when OTAs begin.

Regarding run D: over the last 3 seasons, when Seattle has been gashed, it’s not on the perimiter, it’s nearly always up the middle. Another reason I feel Red’s value, on the field, is overvalued. Emotionally? He’s a lion. But so far as scheme goes, he’s a one dimentional player whose roll *can* be filled. I know it’s not popular and I hope I’m wrong, but as I see it, his days here are numbered (unless they move him inside).

Red Bryant is dealing with a very painful injury, I don’t know how he played with it. I have had plantar fasciitis it is very hard to get over stay off your feet basically. Mine did come back and it shows on X rays now as a spur and arthritis. I think it was like the muscle connecting to the bone area. the good thing is he has good doctors.

Yes, the fascia does connect muscle to bone generally. You could think of it like a steak, your muscle, wrapped in a plastic bag, the fascia. The fascia surrounds the majority of muscles and is generally the tissue that is a conduit to a tendon. A tendon connects muscle to bone. Like the Achilles Tendon. For any Mariners fans, plantar fasciitis is what caused Jay Buhner to retire I believe.

I will take whoever the draft – I want them to draft any guy they think can make the team better. Would love to see certain positions but If they think they will make us better in some way, I will be excited to have them.

At this point I say BPA for each pick – I also believe that their draft board adjusts for need so totally okay with a BPA style for this year

Sylvester Williams and Brandon Wiliams are a couple of solid and athletic looking DTs who could both go in the second round. I wouldn’t be surprised if Schneider bundles draft picks to move up the second and third rounds to target guys he likes.

“Stevo- Dont you think Avril is much quicker than Bennett? I see Avril at RDE not Bennett in your scenarios. We’ll know soon enough… Lol”

Duke, yes, of course. what I meant to say was I think Bennett is a great fit at RDE on early downs and short yardage situations. While Avril or Irvin obviously belong at the Leo on passing downs. I remember when Carroll first brought in Clem. The guy he reminded me of with his techniques was Michael Bennett. WhiIe I agree with others that Bennett was brought in primarily to fill the 3-tech DT role on passing downs, I think he can also fill Clem’s role at RDE on first down, where Clem was an underrated run defender for his size, I think. We’ll see what happens at camp. I’m usually surprised. lol.

Stevos – I get the biggest kick out of how you think Schneider is in charge. It’s funny. Did he have the power to hire himself? Does he have final say over the 53 man roster? No and no. Mr. Happy had been hired to be a dual coach and GM type but Paul Allen said ‘no,’ as he’d already been down that road before. So they needed a puppet to work for Mr. Happy and the Hapster chose Schneider. Yes, Schneider has great pull, but he’s clearly not the one with final authority. If Schneider does make a trade it will be because of the approval of Mr. Happy. If Schneider has a trade worked out and the Hapster says “no,” you know it’s not going to happen. Does the waiter always tell you what to order at a restaurant or do you look at the menu and decide for yourself? That’s what their relationship has been described as many times with people in the know. I certainly listen to my waiter sometimes and order based on their recommendations, but usually I go with what I decide on.

Its good to see all the love for Obomanu. Obo and Deon Butler are both talented and hardworking football players who couldn’t keep roster spots in Seattle. Its another sign that the depth of the roster and quality of competition has improved greatly from a few years ago.

ha, Bobby, I never said Pete Carroll takes orders from Schneider. I believe what I said was “I wouldn’t be surprised if Schneider bundles draft picks to move up the second and third rounds to target guys he likes.”

Maybe what I should have said was “I wouldn’t be surprised if Schneider bundles draft picks to move up the second and third rounds to target guys Coach Carroll wants.”

Carroll has made it pretty clear in his comments after the past few drafts that John Schneider and his staff do a ton of work to have their board and draft options worked on by draft day, and Carroll has credited Scheider with finding opportunities for trades and in the draft. Its not all Carroll, there is a team of a dozen guys in the draft room, with Schneider working the phones. Of course I agree that if Carroll doesn’t want a particular player he wouldn’t be drafted.

He had a great year in 2010 and seemed poised to take over a starting role for a couple years. He’s always been tough as nails, had great hands until recently, and was a fierce blocker (the blocking is what Ruskell drafted him for). I always thought from his limited play, that if he was a FL with a stud SE opposite him to take the double-teams, he could have been an 800-1,000 yard receiver. But he always got injured just when he was getting a chance.

That hit over the middle that split his hand and broke fingers was as nasty as it gets; AND he held onto the ball!

I hope he catches on somewhere and plays in the playoffs. A great guy, hard worker, and a real safety valve. He will be missed!

Darrell Bevell has given some interested interviews in the past few days (one with the Big E. Eric Williams on KJR), where he said some interesting things. One thing that surprised me what that he didn’t make it sound like he was the one who pushed for the Percy Harvin trade. He said Coach came to him numerous times to ask questions about Harvin, but when the deal happened is was Carroll and Schneider who made the decision and made it happen and then informed Bevell. Somehow I always assumed Bevell would have been lobbying to bring his old favorite guys here, but he didn’t make it sound that way. Carroll had tried to recruit Harvin to USC, and never gave up.

In any case, who wouldn’t want to be Darrell Bevell this year? What a lot of great players he has to work with. He said the toughest thing about his job with be “we only have one ball”.

I think he lost a little speed over the last couple seasons, and that robbed him of that little edge he needed to hang onto his job. Then again, with Tate, Rice, Baldwin, and Harvin, not too many veterans with their big salaries could make the team.

Those of you counting him out should bear that in mind. I think someone picks him up, Detroit, St Louis, AZ, Chicago, etc could all use a utility man like Obomanu.

Pabuwal – you wrote:
The Seahawks now have Red Bryant, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin at DE. And I don’t even know what this all means. My guess is Bennett takes Bryant’s place and Avril takes Clemons’ place (assuming Clemons is injured) and Irvin maintains the same role as last year. As far as Red Bryant goes, if he can’t play inside, then what? Does he get dealt to NE?

COMMENT:
Michael Bennett was signed to replace Jason Jones on the line. Michael played in a 3-4 up front so he is a great fit and close in height and size. So to answer your question(s) I think Red Bryant stays, Michael Bennett replaces Jason Jones, Cliff Avril replaces Chris Clemens – (Injured or PUP list)for now allowing Chris to rehab and take his time getting back to 100%. We get depth later in the year!! Bruce continues to get better doing what he did last year. Hope that answers your question as to what this all means.

About Obo: The NFL just isn’t very kind to seven year vet’s that haven’t established any particular identity. Just being a nice guy and a pretty good ST player isn’t good enough. God bless the man. I hope he leads a perfectly pleasant life here on earth for another 70 years and then goes to Ex-Player Nice Guy Heaven but I don’t understand how he was even employed by the Seahawks in 2012.

raymaines–He was employed because Baldwin was already hobbled by multiple injuries by game one, and it only got worse. That, and Charly Martin and Jermaine Kearse, while talented, are not ready for prime time. Obomanu can do everything you expect from a WR at an NFL level, and his special teams play is exemplary.

We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part and abiding by these simple rules.